At five days Osaka stops being the destination and becomes the base, which is what it is best at. Kyoto and Nara are both close enough to be day trips rather than moves.
Days one to three
As the three-day plan.
Day four: Kyoto or Nara, not both
Both are short train journeys and both are full days. Kyoto is larger, busier and needs a plan; Nara is smaller, walkable, and its park and Todaiji can be done in an afternoon. Doing both on one day is the most common mistake visitors to Kansai make.
Check which rail operator serves your route before buying anything — several companies run between Osaka and Kyoto and their passes do not cover each other. See Day Trips.
Day five: the bay, or the second half of the city
Either the bay — Kaiyukan and Tempozan, which is a different Osaka of reclaimed land and container cranes — or the neighbourhoods you skipped: Nakanoshima, Den Den Town and Sumiyoshi Taisha, the last of which is worth the tram ride.
Where to stay for five days
Minami if you are eating and going out; Kita if you are using Osaka as a base and catching early trains. They are fifteen minutes apart and choosing wrongly means a train every evening.
Other lengths of trip
Checked 5 September 2026. Fares, opening days and closing days change — confirm before you travel. More in Itineraries & Day Plans.